Evernote Review 2023: App Features, Pricing, Pros & Cons

If you're a note-taking enthusiast, chances are you've heard of Evernote - the ultimate note-taking app that has been around for quite some time. 

But with so many note-taking apps available these days, is Evernote still worth investing in? That’s what our Evernote review will reveal to you. 

We have put the app through the wringer and are ready to reveal its features, pricing, and pros and cons in this article to help you decide whether this app is the right choice for you. 

Let’s dive into the details!

Evernote review 2023: Is Evernote good?

This Evernote app review has found that Evernote is one of the best note-taking apps on the market for several reasons. Evernote’s user-friendly user interface makes it easy for anyone to get started with note-taking. The app's organization features allow you to categorize and sort your notes easily.

Another great thing about Evernote is that it has a free version. While the premium plans have some advanced features, the free version can still be a good option if your needs are more basic. 

From the ability to create handwritten notes to the option to clip and save articles from the web, Evernote has everything you need to take notes in the way that works best for you. You can take handwritten notes, audio notes, sticky notes, and more. Additionally, Evernote has a wide range of integrations, allowing you to connect it with other apps and services you often use.

With so many great features, it's no surprise that Evernote has landed a spot on our list of top 13 best note taking apps for 2023. Whether you're a student, a manager, or anyone in need of a great note-taking app, Evernote is a solid choice that is definitely worth checking out.

Evernote pricing plans

First of all, how much does Evernote cost? Let’s first review Evernote prices:

What is the cost of Evernote for nonprofits?

If you're a nonprofit that's wondering, "does Evernote cost money for nonprofits?" the answer is yes, but there are discounts. Evernote Teams offers a discounted rate to qualifying non-governmental organizations (NGOs), nonprofit organizations, and educational institutions.

To learn more about the discount, you must get in touch with customer support. And how much is Evernote premium for nonprofits? The discounted pricing is only applicable to Teams accounts with five or more users and can be billed yearly through credit card or invoice.

Are there any Evernote coupon codes or promo discount vouchers?

We did the research, and it seems there are no coupon codes or discount vouchers at this time for Evernote. However, it’s important to note that students can get 50% off a full year of Evernote Personal. Eligible students can also get a 40% discount for the Professional plan via UNiDAYS. However, if you do not fall into any of these categories, you will have to pay the Evernote premium cost in full.

Evernote free vs paid: what’s the difference?

The difference between the Evernote premium vs free plans is that the free plan is perfect for personal use, such as jotting down quick notes, making to-do lists, and organizing your thoughts, while the premium plans are geared toward users that need more functionality. 

The free plan has limitations in terms of storage, note size, and device syncing. If you're working as part of a team, the free plan might not cut it. While the free plan used to have many features, access to the more advanced capabilities of the app now requires a subscription to one of the paid plans. 

The Evernote paid plans offer a whole range of features, such as syncing across an unlimited number of devices, larger monthly upload limits, and bigger note size caps. The paid versions also include document scanning features, OCR and PDF annotation, team collaboration, and better integration capabilities.

If you're a student or someone who uses Evernote for personal use, the free version should suffice. However, if you're part of a team or need access to more advanced Evernote options, it's worth considering a paid plan.

Evernote overview: what is Evernote premium & what is the Evernote note taking app used for?

In a nutshell, Evernote is a popular note-taking app that has been around for quite some time. But, what is Evernote good for, exactly? In short, it's great for anyone who needs to keep track of information, whether it's for personal or professional use.

The Evernote note-taking app allows you to create notes, to-do lists, and even scan documents. You can add attachments to your notes, such as images, PDFs, and even audio recordings. This makes Evernote great for storing information and keeping it organized. On the plus side, it offers plenty of formatting options, including bold, underlines, fonts, highlights, and more. 

Evernote is also great for team collaboration, allowing you to share notes and work together in real-time. The app also offers a wide range of integrations, which makes it easy to connect with other apps and services that you use on a daily basis.

Overall, Evernote is a powerful tool that can be used for a variety of purposes, from personal note-taking to team collaboration. With its user-friendly interface and an abundance of features, it's no wonder that it still remains one of the most popular note-taking apps out there.

In July 2021, Evernote canceled its Premium plan that it introduced back in 2011. Users who want to upgrade from the freemium version can now subscribe to Evernote Personal, Professional, or Evernote Teams. 

Evernote features list

Let’s take a look at Evernote free and Evernote premium features:

• Web clipping 

• Tasks 

• Calendar

• Document scanning 

• Search function

• Sharing and collaboration 

• Annotation 

• Templates

• Audio notes

• Integrations

• Mobile and desktop app

1. Web clipping 

Evernote offers a highly useful web clipper browser extension that is compatible with all major web browsers. This convenient tool allows you to quickly clip and save images and text from the web directly into your Evernote account. 

With the web clipper, you can easily save the specific content you want to refer back to, while avoiding unwanted ads and other parts of the web pages you don’t want to read. 
 

2. Tasks 

You can easily use Evernote as a simple task management tool. The app lets you create tasks to keep track of your to-do lists and action items. The best part is that your tasks will be kept in context with your project ideas, meeting notes, and other important documents.

All users can create and complete tasks, making it easy to stay on top of your to-do list. Paying customers also have access to more advanced task features. This includes the ability to view tasks in one place, set due dates for tasks, schedule recurring tasks, add reminders to a task, assign tasks to others, and more.
 

3. Calendar

If you’re subscribed to the Personal plan, you’ll be able to connect your primary Google Calendar account. Professional plan and Teams users can connect both personal and workplace Google Calendar accounts. 

Once you connect Evernote with Google Calendar, it’ll be possible to link notes to events to make them more useful and easy to find. You can add relevant event info to your notes so you’re always ready to follow up on action items and assign tasks.
 

4. Document scanning 

Evernote has a solid document scanning functionality that lets you scan handwritten notes, whiteboards, menus, receipts, and more. The scanning feature also extends to business cards. You'll be able to scan and digitize business cards to create a personal database of contacts. You can download the document-scanning app from the App Store or Google Play Store.
 

5. Search function

Evernote has advanced searching capabilities. The searching tool is a powerful feature that allows you to easily find specific words and files across your notes. With the ability to search by keyword, date of creation or modification, and even the location where a note was written, you can quickly locate the information you need.

If you opt for one of the paid versions of Evernote, you'll have access to even more advanced searching features. This includes the ability to search and sort through Microsoft Word documents and PDFs, giving you a more comprehensive search experience.
 

6. Sharing and collaboration 

One of the standout features of Evernote is its robust sharing and collaboration capabilities. These features make it easy to share notes and notebooks with others, even if they don't use Evernote.

With Evernote, you have complete control over who can view and edit your notes and notebooks. You can easily set permissions for others, allowing them to access and collaborate on your content. Additionally, you can email a copy of your notes to anyone, which makes it easy to share information with those who may not have an Evernote account.

There are also advanced PDF export controls. With these controls, you can customize the look and feel of your PDFs to make them more professional and visually appealing. Evernote also integrates with popular collaboration tools like Slack, Salesforce, and Microsoft Teams so that you can save conversations more easily and track decisions. 
 

7. Annotation 

With Evernote, you have all the tools you need to communicate ideas visually, share feedback, and collaborate with others. Annotating images and PDFs is a breeze, thanks to the app's wide range of annotation tools, such as lines, shapes, arrows, and more.

It's important to note that while image annotation is available to all users, PDF annotation is only available for those with an Evernote Personal, Professional, or Teams subscription.
 

8. Templates

Evernote offers a convenient collection of more than 50 templates designed to help you save time and streamline your note-taking process. With these templates, you can quickly and easily create new notes with pre-formatted designs.

Some of the available templates include a Meeting Agenda for work groups, a Travel Calendar for trip planning, and a Project Overview for tracking milestones.

With a paid plan, you’ll be able to create and save your own custom note templates. 
 

9. Audio notes

Evernote offers a useful feature that allows you to record and store audio recordings directly within the app. With this feature, you can easily capture and recall the details of various events, such as a meeting with colleagues, a class lecture, a family member's musical recital, or an important speech.

The amount of audio you can record per note varies depending on your account level. Free customers can record up to 25MB per note, and Personal, Professional, and Teams can record up to 200MB per note.

While Evernote's audio recording feature is certainly useful, the app doesn’t currently offer the ability to convert audio recordings into text, or lets you search for specific words mentioned within a recording.
 

10. Integrations

Evernote offers seamless integration with a variety of popular programs, making it easy to connect and streamline your workflow. With a paid subscription, you can integrate the app with Google Calendar, while Professional and Teams plan users can take advantage of even more integration options, including Slack, Salesforce, and Microsoft Teams.

Additionally, the Teams plan offers integration with some of the best CRM tools, such as Salesforce. Evernote also integrates with Zapier and IFTTT, making it easy to connect and automate your workflows across multiple platforms.

It also integrates with other note-taking apps, such as OneNote. They’re both excellent digital tools for taking notes, and they share many similarities; you can see how they compete in different areas in our comprehensive Evernote vs OneNote comparison.
 

11. Mobile and desktop apps

Evernote is a highly versatile note-taking app that can be used on a wide range of devices and operating systems. With Evernote, you can access your notes and other content across all your devices, including your desktop, laptop, tablet, and smartphone.

One of the perks of the mobile app for Android and iOS is that it allows you to take notes and capture information on the go. You can easily record audio, snap photos, and even scan documents directly into the app using your smartphone or tablet. Additionally, the mobile app offers seamless integration with your device's camera, making it easy to capture and add visual content to your notes.

The perk of the desktop apps for Windows and Mac is that if you lose Internet connection, you won’t lose access to your notes.

There’s also the Penultimate app, which is a free digital handwriting app for iPad created by Evernote. With Penultimate, you can enjoy the experience of a paperless and inkless notebook that you can take with you wherever you go.

Evernote pros and cons

Here are the advantages and disadvantages of Evernote:
 

Evernote advantages

Syncs your notes across all devices. 

One of the standout features of Evernote is its ability to sync your notes across all your devices. You can easily access your notes from anywhere, at any time, making it a great tool for those who are always on the go. Whether you're creating a new note or editing an existing one, your changes are automatically saved online and synced across all your computers and phones. 

Organizes your notes in a clear hierarchy. 

Evernote offers a hierarchical system for organizing notes, which allows you to easily categorize and sort your content. There are three levels in this hierarchy:

• Note: This is the basic unit of organization in Evernote. It represents an individual piece of content, such as a text note, image, or audio recording.

• Notebook: Notebooks are the next level up in the hierarchy, and they allow you to group related notes together. 

• Notebook stack: Notebook stacks are the highest level of organization in Evernote's hierarchy. They allow you to group notebooks together into a single unit, making it easier to manage larger sets of content. 

By utilizing these three levels of organization, you can keep your notes and other content neatly sorted and easy to find.

Comes with a powerful search function. 

Evernote's search functionality is a powerful tool that allows you to quickly and easily find the content you're looking for. With its Advanced Search feature, you can search for notes by title, keywords, dates, or the type of content they contain, such as audio or images. You can also use quotation marks to search for specific phrases, making it even easier to find exactly what you need. 

For users with a paid subscription, Evernote offers even more advanced search capabilities. With the ability to search for text in PDFs, Office docs, images, presentations, scanned documents, and even handwritten notes, finding the content you need has never been easier.

Works as a great collaboration tool. 

One of the key advantages of Evernote is its collaborative capabilities, which allow you to work seamlessly with others without ever leaving the app. With Evernote, you can easily share notes and notebooks with colleagues, friends, or family members, allowing you to collaborate on projects, share ideas, and work together in real-time.

In addition to its sharing features, Evernote also offers a convenient Work Chat function that allows you to communicate with others directly within the app. This feature makes it easy to ask questions, give and receive feedback, and collaborate more effectively with your team.

With Evernote's simultaneous editing capabilities, you can work together with your team in real-time, moving ideas, plans, and projects forward with ease.
 

Evernote disadvantages

Limited free plan. 

Evernote's free plan used to be more generous, but they have removed a good deal of the features and locked them behind the paid plans. The free plan comes with limitations like 60 MB monthly uploads, 25 MB max note size, and synchronization between only up to two devices.

Expensive monthly plans. 

Evernote seems more expensive compared to its competitors. Its paid plans start at $8/month, which is pricey if we compare it with OneNote's cheapest plan that stands at only $1.99/month, and Bear's $1.49/month. 

Not suitable as a project management tool. 

Evernote can be customized to work as a basic project management tool. But it’s still not as powerful as a dedicated project management system like Basecamp, Asana, or monday.com. 

Evernote complaints & praise (Evernote reviews from real customers)

According to positive reviews of Evernote, the app works as a great digital notebook that assists them in recalling everything, from major concepts to minor details. The app guarantees that their thoughts, projects, and plans are not lost or overlooked.

Users appreciate how Evernote allows them to save life's little moments, such as inspiration, ideas, photos, articles, research, and more, so that they can be effortlessly retrieved when needed.

Many user reviews say that the app provides a seamless experience for capturing and organizing thoughts, allowing users to stay on top of their projects and goals. Moreover, Evernote's ability to sync across devices ensures that users can access their notes and to-do lists from anywhere. 

Users have also praised the app's ability to facilitate collaboration by allowing teams to share and collaborate on notes and projects. Overall, users consider Evernote to be an essential tool for personal and professional productivity.

The security of data is a top concern for many users, and Evernote has earned high marks for its encryption features. Many users praise the app's ability to encrypt their notes with a password for extra protection, providing peace of mind that their data is secure.

Users also appreciate that they can keep their notes private or share them with others with ease, making it a versatile tool for collaboration and organization.

Negative Evernote user reviews mention how sharing notes with non-Evernote users is difficult. Other reviewers complain about the limited free plan that comes with only 60MB of monthly uploads. They say that the free version is sufficient for users with basic needs, but its restrictions make it less desirable for users that need the app’s more advanced features. A few users say that if many illustrations and media files like images or videos are added to the notes, the app becomes slow and takes some time to load initially. Users also have an issue with the expensive monthly plans. 
 

Review of Evernote support

Free users can't access direct help but can look for answers to their questions in the active community forum. Evernote offers an official Help & Learning center on its website, which includes comprehensive how-tos, user guides, and frequently asked questions about the app.

Users of the paid plans can file a support ticket to get their questions answered or get to customer support via live chat. 

Is Evernote worth it? Key takeaways

The general consensus is that Evernote is a powerful note-taking tool for personal and professional use. The free plan is sufficient for individuals that need to jot down short notes and to-do lists. So, if you need a simple tool for noting your thoughts, ideas, to-do lists without feeling overwhelmed by too many features, go with the freemium version. 

But what about the paid plans? Is Evernote Premium worth it or is Evernote dying out in popularity after being around for so long?

The premium plans, Personal, Professional, and Teams open the door to more functionality like more storage space, syncing across unlimited devices, offline access, better selection of integration options, and more. 

The Personal plan expands on the free plan and adds a few more features and reduces some of the restrictions. The Professional plan is designed for power users and professionals who want the best of Evernote. You’ll have all of the Evernote features and services as Evernote Personal, plus access to all-new, advanced tasks, Google Calendar integration, and more.

The Teams plan has excellent collaboration features, making it an ideal choice for business purposes. If you need an app to write down meeting, brainstorming, or any other business notes and manage them collaboratively, the Teams plan can be a great choice. 

Ultimately, if you’re willing to invest in the advanced features of Evernote, the app can become an essential tool for keeping track of your personal and professional notes, work reports, and to-do lists.

If you're still unsure whether Evernote is the right app for you, there are many other excellent note-taking apps to consider. Take a look at this list of the best Evernote alternatives to discover some great alternatives that might suit your needs better, like Notion, Google Keep, Apple Notes, and Microsoft OneNote.

In our opinion, Notion is one of the greatest Evernote replacements. You can learn more about the differences and similarities between these two in our comprehensive Notion vs Evernote comparison.
 

Our final Evernote rating

4/5